I checked out the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon - they were mostly positive, although there were some that complained about bogus science, stating that the author should go back to the 6th grade. This complaint made me want to check out the series anyway.
It made me remember back when Stephen Baxter's first novel Raft was published. Reviewers made a big deal of the fact that his novels got the science right. Raft first appeared back in 1991, and science fiction has been around for a long time. Take the Barsoom series (John Carter) by Edgar Rice Burroughs; A Princess of Mars was published in 1912. This was a good story, especially for the year it was released, and I'm sure there are all kinds of problems with the science. I also remember a foreword written by Arthur C. Clarke which indicated that all the early science fiction writers got lots of space science wrong - after all, nobody had ever been there (this foreword can be found in the novel Encounter With Tiber, by Buzz Aldrin).
I'm sure there are science problems in all of the TV shows I grew up watching: Battlestar Galactica (the original series in 1978), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), Star Trek (1966), Space: 1999 (1975), The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). The fact that the science may have been wrong did not detract from my enjoyment watching these shows.
So, why should it effect my enjoyment of a novel? Such a science argument should effectively wipe out all works of fantasy - they are impossible, so nobody should read them. Well, given how many fantasy novels exist, I'd say this is a pointless argument - many people enjoy fantasy. So, why can't we have many subdivisions of science fiction - some which are deadly serious, with correct science, and others which border on the ridiculous but are still entertaining (yes, I'm a fan of The Orville TV show - every bit as enjoyable as Star Trek).
Within the first few chapters, I see similarities with Battlestar Galactica and the anime TV show called Star Blazers in the US (formerly Space Battleship Yamato in Japan). While reading this book I learned that the author was a big fan of Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, and Stargate. By the midway point, I definitely saw some Babylon 5 influence, and perhaps some inspiration from the Battlestar Galactica reboot (from 2004), and the mythological elements of Stargate.
It's not a bad thing that these books have elements drawn from other sources. Some may complain that it is just duplication of other material, but I feel these books definitely put a new skin on the concepts, and there are definitely some original ideas here. This is an easy, enjoyable read, with some nice surprises along the way - certainly ones that I didn't see coming. Of all the shows I've mentioned above, would have to say the story style is most like Star Blazers, which means that it also follows suit with many anime from the "Super Robot" period of Japanese animation in the mid-to-late 1970's (Grandizer, Danguard Ace, Gaiking, etc) - lots of escapes and over-the-top action. Reading this series definitely brought back great memories from my childhood.
If you are looking for action of this style, this series is a good read. We get to see the growth of the main character, Chase, through his journey throughout the series. The friends he makes are explored in depth, and they have interesting backgrounds and motivations.
I'm getting to this review rather late - two years after I read the series through book 8. I took a break from the series during a difficult time, and have not yet completed it, but I will. The action continues and the various mysteries continue to be revealed as far as I read - very entertaining all the way. I can't really say too much without revealing some of the main components of the story, so you will have to read it for yourself.
Highly recommended.
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